Topics: Prince Andrew, King Charles III, Royal Family, Jeffrey Epstein, Virginia Giuffre, News, UK News
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide and sexual abuse which some readers may find distressing.
King Charles III has reportedly taken significant action against Prince Andrew after the former Duke of York gave up his honours and titles.
For those not in the loop, Andrew, 65, surrendered his honours on Friday, 17 October, allegedly following pressure placed upon him from his elder brother, the King, in light of new revelations regarding his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The news also came just days before late sex-trafficking survivor Virginia Giuffre's posthumous memoir was released to the public, detailing her accusations against Andrew.
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Giuffre alleged she was forced to have sex three times with Andrew after she was trafficked by Epstein, which he denies, including when she was just 17-years-old.
Andrew paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with her in 2022, despite insisting he had never met her.
Pressure has been mounting from the British public for Andrew to vacate his 30-room Royal Lodge home in the wake of the scandal. And while the royals are yet to speak out about this, reports have emerged that the King has taken serious action against his brother in another way.
As per PEOPLE, the banner featuring the former Duke of York's coat of arms has been removed from Windsor Castle.
It was previously displayed next to Prince William's inside St. George's Chapel and was first raised in 2006, after Andrew was made a Knight of the Order of the Garter - a chivalric order founded in the 14th century.
Andrew has not been formally stripped of this specific order but instead agreed to give it up, as he did with his Duke of York title.
According to The Sun, the banner in question, which depicts three lions of England, the harp of Ireland, Scotland’s lion rampant, and an anchor to represent his naval career, was removed on Wednesday (22 October)
A source reportedly told the publication: "It was removed at the most convenient moment."
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace has since confirmed to Tyla that the Banner and Crest have, indeed, come down.
Allegedly, drastic action like this only happens in 'cases of high treason or taking up arms against the Crown'.
As for the Royal Lodge debate, legal experts have warned that the royal family would be 'wasting their time' by attempting to remove the prince from the property.
On Tuesday (21 October), The Times revealed they'd obtained a copy of the leasehold agreement, revealing the terms under which Andrew lives there.
It outlined he has not paid any monetary rent on the property for two decades.
Allegedly, while he did fork out £1 million for the lease, as well £7.5 million for refurbishments completed in 2005, he has only paid 'one peppercorn (if demanded)' in rent per year, since 2003.
Peppercorn rent is a legal term for very low or nominal rent, which is used to satisfy the requirement for the creation of a legally binding lease contract document.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
